1898. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNALc 



611 



lap and a straw mat, or 3 or 4 Inches of carpet placed over 

 the brood-frame. This is prevented from coming in con- 

 tact with the frames by pieces of wood placed crosswise so 

 there will be a space of about 8 inches in which the bees 

 cluster, and also use as a means of access to the other combs. 

 One bee-keeper drives his bees no protection whatever. He 

 winters them on 10 Langstroth frames, which contain about 

 ■■^8 sealed honey, and covers these with three J4-inch covers, 

 which often do not fit, leaving large openings through which 

 the warmth may escape. Strange to say, these bees go 

 through the winter without any loss, and many colonies are 

 just as strong in the spring as those which received the best of 

 care. Last winter one of the colonies wintered without the 

 three ,'-4-inch covers, the combs being entirely exposed on the 

 top, the rain and snow being kept out by an ordinary empty 

 extracting-super upon which was placed a ventilated cover 

 raised about two inches to let the moisture escape. I think 

 this proves beyond a doubt that bees do not freeze, but starve 

 to death, as the thermometer several times registered below 

 zero, and for weeks it was almost as cold. 



Hamilton Co., Ohio. 



Peddling Honey — Not Favored by All. 



BT ADRIAN GKTAZ. 



Mr. Thompson, some time ago, related his experience in 

 peddling honey from house to house, and attributed his fail- 

 ure to his lack of ability. Well, I am not sure that his lack 

 of ability was the cause of his failure — too many other circum- 

 stances have a bearing upon the question. A good deal de- 

 pends upon the class of people living in the city. Working- 

 men and employes generally have little money at home, buy 

 on credit, and pay when pay-day comes. The time of the 

 year has a great deal to do with the selling. During the fair 

 season so much fruit and vegetables of all kinds are on the 

 market that there Is but little demand for something else. In 

 the winter, when nothing but meat and potatoes, almost, so to 

 speak, are to be had, then honey for a change is welcomed. 

 Again, during the latter part of the summer the farmers bring 

 all their honey and sell it for whatever they can get. Many 

 families buy what they think they will need during the year, i 



Thompson did. On the other hand, if i started in the winter, 

 say after the middle of January, I would not have any trouble 

 in selling any amount of honey that way. 



Most of my peddling, however, has been done by the lady 

 who owns the place where one of my apiaries is. As she ped- 

 dles her farm products all the time, and has a number of reg- 

 ular customers, it is easier for her to dispose of it than it 

 would be for me, that is, when the peddling is done regularly 

 all the year around. Besides, the cost of time is reduced con- 

 siderably, as she would have to go anyhow to dispose of her 

 own farm products. 



Taking all into consideration, I am not much in favor of 

 peddling. It takes too much time compared to the amount 

 sold, and the difference between the price obtained and the 

 price paid by the grocers is too small to make up for the time 

 lost. As I have said before, I prefer to sell directly to the 

 grocers, eiiher on commission or straight sales, whichever 

 they like the best. Knox Co., Tenn. 



Bee-Chat, or Various Notes and Comments. 



BY HERMAN F. MOORE. 



Bee-Keeping in Cuba. — I notice that O. O. Poppleton 

 makes some references to his bee-keeping experiences in Cuba 

 that are intensely interesting. Among other things, that he 

 kept 400 colonies, etc. Now, Mr. Poppleton, take this for a 

 subject, "Bee-Keeping in Cuba as Seen by One of the Bees," 

 and open wide up and give us all the details, such as you 

 know will interest all bee-keepers, and especially now when 

 Cuba and her possibilities as an American State are in the 

 world's eye. 



Hone\-Prices Compared.— It will be interesting at this 

 time to compare the prices of honey that obtained in 1890 

 with the current prices of the last two years. In June, 1890, 

 Mr. Burnett said there was less honey on the market than 

 anytime for seven years, and quotes " choice at 13 to 14 

 cents." 



In July, a Kansas City commission merchant prices " very 

 nice white one-pound sections put up in handsome 12-pound 

 white wood packages at 15 to 16 cents." 



.471 A-piary m the City of Cincinnati, Ohio. 



and thus take advantage of the low prices. Many times, how- 

 ever, their calculations are short, and they are " out " before 

 the winter Is over. 



If I were to start peddling at this time of the year, right 

 here at home in competition with all the good things that are 

 on the market, and the tubfuls of masht combs brought by 

 the mountaineers, I would meet with a worse failure than Mr. 



The latter part of July a Columbus, Ohio, dealer said : 

 "Honey is scarce, and selling at 17c. for choice white clover." 



In September, an Albany, N. Y., commission merchant 

 quoted, " white, selected, 18 to 20 cents." 



In September, Mr. Burnett said: "Comb is now held 

 firmly, and sales are now being made at 17 to 18 cents for 

 best grades of white." 



